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Pay-to-Go Schemes and Other Noncoercive Return Programs: Is Scale Possible?

Noncoercive, pay-to-go, voluntary, assisted voluntary, and nonforced returns generally can offer paid travel and/or other financial incentive to encourage unauthorized immigrants to cooperate with immigration officials and leave host countries. A look at three key rationales for governments to choose pay-to-go and other returns.




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#JamaicaTogether | Portia Simpson Miller

As daunting as this COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be, and as devastating as its impact is on people both here at home and around the world, we must stand together, united. We must all act with purpose, resolve, love and compassion because when we...




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After travelling for funeral, elderly siblings stuck in US yearn for home

When siblings Norma and Warren Williams left Jamaica to attend the funeral of a relative in Margate, South Florida, in February, they had no idea that a rapidly developing COVID-19 outbreak would have crippled global travel, leaving them stranded...




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CRIPPLED - Several St Catherine businesses hobbling as lockdown jitters linger

At least 10 stores inside the Portmore Mall have fallen casualty to the economic chokehold brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, with several others struggling to stay afloat as St Catherine businesses grapple with revenue losses. And with a 14-day...




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Five-year INDECOM Act inertia - Williams, Golding still want prosecutorial powers for commission; DPP, Chuck, cops not sold on idea

Almost five years ago, lawmakers on a bipartisan committee of Parliament agreed unanimously to amend the law to give the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) the power to arrest and prosecute cops. That proposed amendment, which was...




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Yaneek Page | It will be years, not months, for COVID-19 business recovery

ADVISORY COLUMN: SMALL BUSINESS On Thursday, May 7, the RJR/GLEANER Communications group staged a virtual town hall meeting on Television Jamaica titled “COVID-19...




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Cedric Stephens | Business interruption insurance debate unsettled

RISKS...




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Uber loses US$2.9b, offloads bike and scooter business

Uber lost US$2.9 billion in the first quarter as its overseas investments were hammered by the coronavirus pandemic, but the company is looking to its growing food delivery business and aggressive cost-cutting to ease the pain. The ride-hailing...




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JACRA reluctant to offer more fee concessions

Recent calls by the Jamaica Manufacturing and Exporters Association, JMEA, for more targeted concessions on raw materials that are processed for re-export sent Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority, JACRA, back to the drawing board...




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Kadi-Ann James-Sinclair committed to fighting COVID

Mandeville, Manchester: Those who have no choice but to face the monster that is wreaking havoc on the land, particularly those who have dependents, cannot be commended enough. For the next few weeks, we will be introducing you to some of the...




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The pain of losing a mom on Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is usually a much-anticipated, celebratory day for Trinette Lilly and her siblings. However, this year, they were not looking forward to today because it marks the first anniversary of the brutal slaying of their mother, Antonette...




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Closing the Distance: How Governments Strengthen Ties with Their Diasporas

This book explores how developing-country governments have institutionalized ties with emigrants and their descendents. It offers an unprecedented taxonomy of 45 diaspora-engaging institutions found in 30 developing countries, exploring their activities and objectives. It also provides important practitioner insights from Mali, Mexico, and the Philippines.




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Migration and the Great Recession: The Transatlantic Experience

This edited volume addresses the impact of the economic crisis in seven major immigrant-receiving countries: the United States, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. 




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Hoja de ruta para la participación de las diásporas en el desarrollo: Un manual para políticos y profesionales de los países de origen y de acogida

Este manual ofrece a los formuladores de políticas y especialistas una guía accesible y práctica sobre las iniciativas gubernamentales referentes a la diáspora. Este manual contiene un menú, seleccionado cuidadosamente, de opciones normativas y programáticas viables basadas en experiencias reales en distintas partes del mundo.




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Managing Borders in an Increasingly Borderless World

This edited volume showcases approaches toward border management in Europe, Central America, and North America, and reflects on the challenges that countries in these regions face in managing their borders. The book brings together perspectives from both sides of the Atlantic on what border security means in practice, the challenges that continue to evade policymakers, and what policies have been the most (and least) successful in achieving “secure” borders.




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Migration of Health Workers: The WHO Code of Practice and the Global Economic Crisis

This edited volume from the World Health Organization (WHO), which includes chapters written by MPI researchers, examines country-level responses to the international movement of health-care workers, both before and after adoption of the WHO’s Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel.




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Communicating More for Less: Using Translation and Interpretation Technology to Serve Limited English Proficient Individuals

This report provides an overview of several commonly used translation and interpretation technologies. It aims to assist language access practitioners in understanding and identifying which systems would best meet their agency’s language access needs.




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Limited English Proficient Individuals in the United States: Number, Share, Growth, and Linguistic Diversity

The number of U.S. residents deemed Limited English Proficient (LEP) has increased substantially in recent decades, consistent with the growth of the U.S. foreign-born population. This brief offers analysis on the number, share, growth, and linguistic diversity of LEP individuals in the United States from 1990 to 2010 at the national, state, and metropolitan-area levels.




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Immigrant Legalization: Assessing Labor Market Effects

Public Policy Institute of California researchers Magnus Lofstrom and Laura Hill discuss their research examining the potential labor market outcomes and other possible economic effects of a legalization program.




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Immigrant Legalization: Assessing Labor Market Effects

Public Policy Institute of California researchers Magnus Lofstrom and Laura Hill discuss their research examining the potential labor market outcomes and other possible economic effects of a legalization program. The discussion was moderated by Doris Meissner, MPI Senior Fellow and Director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program, with comments from MPI Senior Policy Analyst Randy Capps and Sherrie A. Kossoudji, Associate Professor, School of Social Work, and Adjunct Professor, Department of Economics, University of Michigan.




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The Impact of Immigrants in Recession and Economic Expansion

A broad consensus exists that the long-term impact of immigration on Americans' average income is small but positive, improving employment, productivity, and income. In the short term, however, immigration may slightly reduce native employment and average income. This report provides an analysis of short- and long-run impacts of immigration over the business cycle.




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Does Low-Skilled Immigration Hurt the U.S. Economy? Assessing the Evidence

In a report by MPI's Labor Markets Initiative, noted economist and Georgetown University Public Policy Institute Professor Harry J. Holzer examines the economic reasoning and research on these questions and looks at the policy options that shape the impact of less-skilled immigration on the economy. The discussion is on what policy reform would best serve native-born American workers, consumers, and employers, as well as the overall U.S. economy.




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Migration and the Great Recession: The Transatlantic Experience

The release event for MPI’s book, Migration and the Great Recession: The Transatlantic Experience, which reviews how the financial and economic crisis of the late 2000s marked a sudden and dramatic interruption in international migration trends, and the effects of the economic turmoil on immigrant workers in major immigrant-receiving countries in Europe as well as the United States.




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Migration and the Great Recession: A Keynote Lecture

This German Historical Institute keynote lecture, organized together with the Migration Policy Institute, is part of the conference Migration during Economic Downturns—from the Great Depression to the Great Recession. The event will begin with a reception.




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Nerve terminal nanofilaments control brain signalling

State-of-the-art electron microscopy reveals the large-scale organization of the proteins that regulate neurotransmitter release

This spectacular image – which took the best part of a year to create – shows the fine structure of a nerve terminal at high resolution, revealing, for the very first time, an intricate network of fine filaments that controls the movements of synaptic vesicles.

The brain is soft and wet, with the consistency of a lump of jelly. Yet, it is the most complex and highly organized structure that we know of, containing hundreds of billions of neurons and glial cells, and something on the order of one quadrillion synaptic connections, all of which are arranged in a very specific manner.

Related: 3D model of a nerve terminal in atomic detail | Mo Costandi

Related: Blowing up the brain to reveal its finer details

Continue reading...




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Live imaging of synapse density in the human brain

A new imaging technique may give researchers fresh insights into brain development, function, and disease

The human brain is often said to be the most complex object in the known universe, and there’s good reason to believe that it is. That lump of jelly inside your head contains at least 80 billion nerve cells, or neurons, and even more of the non-neuronal cells called glia. Between them, they form hundreds of trillions of precise synaptic connections; but they all have moveable parts, and these connections can change. Neurons can extend and retract their delicate fibres; some types of glial cells can crawl through the brain; and neurons and glia routinely work together to create new connections and eliminate old ones.

These processes begin before we are born, and occur until we die, making the brain a highly dynamic organ that undergoes continuous change throughout life. At any given moment, many millions of them are being modified in one way or another, to reshape the brain’s circuitry in response to our daily experiences. Researchers at Yale University have now developed an imaging technique that enables them to visualise the density of synapses in the living human brain, and offers a promising new way of studying how the organ develops and functions, and also how it deteriorates in various neurological and psychiatric conditions.

Related: Brain’s immune cells hyperactive in schizophrenia

Related: 3D model of a nerve terminal in atomic detail | Mo Costandi

Continue reading...




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Cannabis may enhance night vision

New research shows that the drug makes cells in the retina more sensitive to light

25 years ago, pharmacologist M. E. West of the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica, noted that local fisherman who smoke cannabis or drink rum made with the leaves and stems of the plant had “an uncanny ability to see in the dark,” which enabled them to navigate their boats through coral reefs. “It was impossible to believe that anyone could navigate a boat without compass and without light in such treacherous surroundings,” he wrote after accompanying the crew of a fishing boat one dark night, “[but] I was then convinced that the man who had taken the rum extract of cannabis had far better night vision than I had, and that a subjective effect was not responsible.”

Some of these crew members told West that Moroccan fishermen and mountain dwellers experience a similar improvement after smoking hashish, and in 2002, another research team travelled to the Rif mountains in Morocco to investigate further. They gave a synthetic cannabinoid to one volunteer, and hashish to three more, then used a newly developed piece of kit to measure the sensitivity of their night vision before and after. Confirming West’s earlier report, they found that cannabis improved night vision in all three of their test subjects.

Related: How marijuana impairs memory

Related: A brief history of psychedelic psychiatry | Mo Costandi

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Obesity alters brain structure and function

It’s not just your waistline that suffers as you put on weight. Researchers are beginning to find puzzling new links between obesity, memory loss and dementia

Lucy Cheke and her colleagues at the University of Cambridge recently invited a few participants into her lab for a kind of ‘treasure hunt’.

The participants navigated a virtual environment on a computer screen, dropping off various objects along their way. They then answered a series of questions to test their memory of the task, such as where they had hidden a particular object.

Related: How your eyes betray your thoughts

Related: How to optimise your brain's waste disposal system

Related: Gut bacteria regulate nerve fibre insulation

Related: Obesity linked to memory deficits

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Researchers develop non-invasive deep brain stimulation method

Researchers at MIT have developed a new method of electrically stimulating deep brain tissues without opening the skull

Since 1997, more than 100,000 Parkinson’s Disease patients have been treated with deep brain stimulation (DBS), a surgical technique that involves the implantation of ultra-thin wire electrodes. The implanted device, sometimes referred to as a ‘brain pacemaker’, delivers electrical pulses to a structure called the subthalamic nucleus, located near the centre of the brain, and effectively alleviates many of the physical symptoms of the disease, such as tremor, muscle rigidity, and slowed movements.

DBS is generally safe but, like any surgical procedure, comes with some risks. First and foremost, it is highly invasive, requiring small holes to be drilled in the patient’s skull, through which the electrodes are inserted. Potential complications of this include infection, stroke, and bleeding on the brain. The electrodes, which are implanted for long periods of time, sometimes move out of place; they can also cause swelling at the implantation site; and the wire connecting them to the battery, typically placed under the skin of the chest, can erode, all of which require additional surgical procedures.

Related: Blowing up the brain to reveal its finer details

Related: Traces of memory in a dish | Mo Costandi

Continue reading...




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[ Cooking & Recipes ] Open Question : My mom keeps putting me down and making fun of the meals I was making before using hello fresh and it hurts my feelings ?




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[ Other - Games & Recreation ] Open Question : A dnd session where the party killed a manticore and decided to bring the corpse back to town to sell. How much money should this give them?




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[ Singles & Dating ] Open Question : Is bring a girl home ok?

So once I went on a night out and I kissed a drunk girl and she was hinting she wanted to come home with me but I didn't let it happen. If this happens again will it be weird if I bring a girl home at like 3 in the morning and I live with my parents. Do I have to hide her? What if we have sex? In the morning my mum just come in and opens the door to get my washing. What if she does this and there is a girl in the bed? Will I get in trouble? I don't know anything about this stuff. I'm 21 do people this age even do this or is it only people in there 30s? It will be nice to spend the night with a girl. Is it a bad idea. I have no brothers or friends so I don't know what people do. I want to know for the next time?




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[ Physics ] Open Question : Help with a non-uniform moments question...?

Ok, so I have tried and do not get the same as as the book (1.6m). Can someone show the forces diagram or something , please?




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[ Politics ] Open Question : Should President Trump continue to have manufacturing sent to China???




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[ Singles & Dating ] Open Question : Is this guy normal?

My friend the dumb joe will ask me for money and try and sell me his garbage because he needs money for a bus fare. He will talk to Asian girls because I think he is not good enough for white girls. He try's to many things. Let's go over some of them. The army the police an astronaut he worked at 5 different supermarkets he got a night job for about 3 weeks and never sleeper at all. He wanted to go to China but cancelled he wanted to go to Auckland but cancelled he wanted to go to Singapore but cancelled. He brought a moped and sold it a week later. He wanted a BMW but didn't get one after he told me he was getting it. He sold me a speaker for $20 and a month later he asked for it back for free and he did not get it. He was on his way to buy a computer and he runs in to a friend and asked him can I have your computer for $200 when the one he was going to buy was $180. He will never learn to drive when he drove into a lamppost. And meny more weird things as well. What is wrong with him?




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[ United States ] Open Question : How do I report my income to irs. What forms should I be using?

I am a dog sitter for my sister, she pays me around $100 a week. I also do extra chores around the house such as cleaning as an exchange for not paying rent. The money she pays me is usually transferred through zelle or paid cash. Im not sure if I would be considered an independent contractor or an employee. Also does she have to report to the irs my income and what forms would she have to use? Ive always received w2s from employers, so I’m Clueless to what I should do this tax season.  Thank you in advance!  Sorry I forgot to mention that my income for this last year was approximately $5000




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[ Singles & Dating ] Open Question : Is it seen as wrong for women to be protective of themselves, and not reliant on a male protector?




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[ Singles & Dating ] Open Question : I’ve been trying to feel pleasure with my eyes wide shut but it keeps on moving ?




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[ Singles & Dating ] Open Question : Should I break up with my boyfriend?

I’ve liked him for a year and I told him, but he told me to date someone else. I started to forget about him, but then he told me that he liked me too. We’re dating now but I don’t think that I feel the same was as when I first started liking him. What should I do?




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[ Singles & Dating ] Open Question : I have an online gf i never met in person,is it cheating if i slept with someone irl?

I have an online gf it seems kind of serious but we've never really made attempts on meeting but i slept with someone irl,is that cheating? Should I tell her?




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[ Video & Online Games ] Open Question : Is my Sim thick?

is she thicc af? I made this in the Sims 4 lol 




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[ Polls & Surveys ] Open Question : How would fragrance companies benefit by the invention of smell-o-vision?




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[ Movies ] Open Question : Name of a movie about a man visiting a small town living with a single mom and her son. Everyone thinks he is a coward but he is a war hero?




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[ Singles & Dating ] Open Question : How to you put an end to friends with benefits?

I have a fwb trade with this guy who doesnt respect me at all and hurts my feelings because I'm not as attractive as he is and gets annoyed if I dont meet his demands,how do I stop this fwb? I'm scared if he does he'll tell people or get mad at me.




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[ Singles & Dating ] Open Question : If someone says youre not edgy is that a bad thing?




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Memo: Prior COVID-19 diagnosis 'permanently disqualifying' for U.S. military service

Military Entrance Processing Stations won't process individuals who have had COVID-19 for military service, even if they've fully recovered from the virus, the Pentagon confirmed this week.




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A Precarious Position: The Labor Market Integration of New Immigrants in Spain

This report assesses how new immigrants to Spain fare in the country's labor market, evaluating the conditions under which they are able to find employment, and their progress out of unskilled work into middle-skilled jobs. The report is part of a series of six case studies on labor market outcomes among immigrants to European Union countries.




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Moving Up the Ladder? Labor Market Outcomes in the United Kingdom amid Rising Immigration

This report analyzes the labor market integration of recent immigrants to the United Kingdom. During the 2000s, a large influx of labor from Eastern European countries transformed the United Kingdom's immigrant population and labor market. The report finds that over time, these new arrivals showed some progress in moving out of the lowest-skilled jobs.




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Building an Integration System: Policies to Support Immigrants’ Progression in the Czech Labor Market

This report presents an overview of Czech integration policies, with a special focus on economic integration. It focuses on policies designed to support migrants’ incorporation in the Czech labor market, and assesses the extent to which these policies facilitate migrants’ upward mobility into more skilled work.




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Better Work for Immigrants: Tackling Joblessness and Stunted Progression in the European Union

This day-long conference in Brussels, co-sponsored by the International Labour Office and the European Commision’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion, focuses on the dynamics by which migrants get stuck in low-skilled work, and the role of training and employment services in helping them progress in their occupations.